Frequently Asked Questions - Copyright

Several years ago OrigamiUSA engaged a copyright lawyer with over 25 years of experience in intellectual property to look into the question of how copyright applies to origami. He wrote up a more extensive FAQ for us, which you can find on our main copyright policy page, here:

You can also download from there a copy of his analysis with footnotes and supporting reasoning.

OrigamiUSA would welcome additional investigation and/or opinions from any lawyer with substantial experience in copyright law who would be interested in some pro bono work for our non-profit organization. Please contact the copyright committee using the link on the page above.

Only after securing permission from the composer of the figure (and if different, the photographer who took the image). If the figure is traditional, you don't need permission from the composer, but you still need permission from the photographer.

I learned an origami figure from a published source. May I teach it to someone else?

Most copyright law contains certain exceptions, which in the U.S. come under the doctrine of “Fair Use.” Although the law is (intentionally) somewhat vague about the specific boundaries of “Fair Use,” teaching an origami figure to someone else informally is generally considered acceptable.

While there is some contention over the question of teaching a model at a convention, in general, a convention is a commercial activity (people are paying money to attend). OrigamiUSA’s policy for our conventions is that when someone is teaching someone else how to make copies of a creator’s work at an OrigamiUSA convention, permission from the creator must be obtained.

I found some folding instructions in a book or on the web. May I use figures I folded myself from these instructions commercially?

If the figure is explicitly noted as a traditional figure, yes. If the figure was composed by an individual (who is usually credited in the book), you may fold it for personal use but commercial usage of the origami figure requires permission from the composer of the figure.

I composed my own origami design and then subsequently found a published model that’s very similar. Can I publish my design?

There are several documented examples of simultaneous composition in origami, particularly among figures of a highly geometrical nature. (This situation is analogous to two musical composers independently composing the same melody; it’s rare, but does happen.) If the figures were composed independently, each composer has the right to assign rights to his/her own design.

No. You may find them useful for understanding general issues, but for any specific legal question you should contact your own lawyer familiar with the relevant laws in your area. In particular, copyright laws vary somewhat from country to country.